Easy Baked Chicken Legs with Lemon Pepper Seasoning

This easy baked chicken legs recipe uses simple pantry ingredients to make delicious chicken drumsticks the whole family will love. Perfect for a quick dinner or lunch!

With only a few minutes of prep time, these baked chicken drumsticks are perfect for a quick weeknight meal. Baked chicken legs are also perfect for meal prep. I like to bake chicken legs in the oven on the weekend for a quick lunch or snack during the week. The guys love this!

When it comes to chicken recipes, my family is divided. The guys prefer chicken thighs and legs, and the girls prefer white meat. I usually can please everybody when I make whole roast chicken. But, even the picky eaters love these lemon pepper chicken legs. Plus, chicken legs are budget friendly and cost a lot less than chicken breast. Best of all, this is such an easy recipe that anyone can make it!

Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients for this easy chicken recipe. Here’s a quick overview. Full amounts are in the printable recipe card below.

• Chicken legs (drumsticks)
• Olive oil — to coat the meat during cooking. You can also add some butter for extra crispy skin and flavor.
• Lemon pepper seasoning — You can find this seasoning blend at your local grocery store — any brand will work.
• Garlic powder — for added flavor

How to Bake Chicken Legs in the Oven

First, preheat the oven. Then, line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. You don’t have to use foil, but it will save you time later on. Trust me. Pat the legs dry with paper towels. This will help the skin crisp up in the oven. Then, place the legs on the foil and brush the legs with the olive oil.

Season all sides of the chicken with the lemon pepper blend and garlic powder. It helps to press the seasoning into the skin with your fingers. You may have to add a little extra seasoning as some will fall onto the baking sheet.

Then, bake the chicken for 35-40 minutes, turning over about halfway through the cooking time. Use a meat thermometer or instant-read thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 170 degrees. The temperature will likely be a little higher, but this is fine as the longer cook time lets the collagen break down giving you very tender chicken legs.

Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes before serving. This lets the juices settle and will give you juicier meat.

Serving Suggestions

Our favorite side dishes for baked drumsticks are stovetop mac and cheese or microwave baked potatoes or baked beans. But, almost any side dish recipe goes with this easy meal. If you want to keep the theme going, make my homemade drumsticks for dessert!

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Refrigerate leftover chicken legs in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can reheat them in the oven or in the microwave. You can also freeze the chicken for up to 3 months for best taste.

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5 from 3 votes

Baked Chicken Legs with Lemon Pepper Seasoning

By: Dee

This easy baked chicken legs recipe uses simple pantry ingredients to make delicious chicken drumsticks the whole family will love. Perfect for a quick dinner or lunch!

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 8 chicken legs
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder

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Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 425℉
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil
• Pat chicken dry with paper towels and place on baking sheet
• Brush chicken all over with olive oil
• Season all sides of chicken with lemon pepper blend and garlic powder
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is 170℉ or above, according to instant read thermometer, turning over halfway through cooking time
• Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving

Notes

Chicken legs are considered done at 165-170 degrees, but cooking them longer allows the collagen and connective tissues to break down more resulting in meat that is tender and juicy.

You can add salt and pepper, to taste, depending on your seasoning blend. It’s also easy to use your favorite seasoning with this basic recipe. Try a blend of sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika if you don’t have lemon pepper.

If your chicken legs are different sizes, you may need to remove smaller legs when done and allow the larger legs to cook a little longer.

Nutrition

Calories: 623kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 43g, Fat: 48g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g, Monounsaturated Fat: 22g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 240mg, Sodium: 218mg, Potassium: 572mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 0.04g, Vitamin A: 253IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 37mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

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